trees for future generations 2014

Carmel High School Do Something Club

Members of the Carmel High School Do Something Club thought that too many kids these days are not doing much to help the environment, so they created a lesson plan, called Trees for Future Generations, about the benefits of trees for the 104 first graders at Smoky Row Elementary School. Their lesson involved an interactive PowerPoint, singing, prizes, and a tree seedling for each student.

The Do Something Club high school students began their lesson with a song clip from the movie The Lorax to show, in a fun way, that trees are a necessity to our environment.

The high school students each introduced one new fun fact about trees. They taught the kids about types of trees, photosynthesis, and the benefits of trees. To view their presentation click here.

At the conclusion of the lesson, the Do Something Club students asked the younger students review questions to see how much they had learned about trees. The first graders answered every question correctly!

After the presentation, the first graders were each given a White Oak seedling to plant at home.They learned that trees absorb odors and pollutant gases and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark. At the same time trees reduce runoff by breaking rainfall thus allowing the water to flow down the trunk and into the earth below the tree. This prevents storm water from carrying pollutants to the ocean.

The 15 CHS Do Something Club members asked many questions of the first graders to see what the younger students already knew about trees and to involve them in the presentation.

The first graders excitedly attempted to answer all questions the Do Something Club students asked. Participants were rewarded with a lollipop, which motivated many of them to stay actively engaged.

The first graders also saw a video tutorial on how to plant a tree seedling and received this handout to take home describing how to correctly plant a tree seedling.

The 104 White Oak seedling the Do Something Club students gave to the first graders will help put more oxygen into the air. White Oaks have their leaves all year round, so they constantly produce oxygen for us to use. They also produce acorns for many animals to consume.